610 



CllESTNUT-SlDED WARBLER. 



Wings, brown, with the feathers, greenish, edged with two broad nearly cortnected greenish white bands. 



Tail, brown, with feathers edged with ashy, with white spot on inner web of outer, occupying about one-half 



its length, and ciiming in contact with the vein the entire length excepting 

 for a small sjiace terminally ; at base it runs aLmg the vein in an acute 

 point, ( See Fig. 1*7. ) The spot on the second and third feathers are 

 each successively shorter but are of a similar form. Sides of head and 

 neck, and beneath, white, with a stripe extending from bill through eye 

 and back of it. and a short triangular mark below eye, black, and a broad 

 stripe on sides, chestnut. Females, similar, but greener above, with the 

 black and cliestnut markings not as prominent. Young, greenish above, 

 without black markings and with traces only of the chestnut on sides, 

 which in some female specimens is quite absent, and the sides of head and 

 neck are tinged with ashy. 



A B 



Fig. !)7. Head of adult 

 Chestnut-sided Warbler. A, 

 outer tail feather of same, B, 

 outer tail feather of Black and 

 Yellow Warbler. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Adult, known in spring plumage by the chestnut sides and in the 

 young stage by the green upper surface combined with the wing bars, 

 tail spots and white undei- parts. Specimens vary greatly in the amount 

 of chestnut on the sides, and in some young females, even in spring, this 

 is absent. Occurs in summer throughout Eastern Noi'th America from 



about latitude 4(J degrees north to Canada: west, to the Great Plains; migrates northward in winter to 



Eastern Mexico and Southern Central America : rare in the Bahamas. 



DIMENSIONS S. 



Length, from r..0() to 5.25 : stretch, S Oil to S.-J.'. ; wing, .iJO to 3.; ; tail, l.iiO to 2.05 ; bill, .35 to . tU : tar- 

 sus, .(J2 to .75. 



DERCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in bushes, composed of the hempen fibers of plants, fern -moss, weed stalks, etc. EiifiS, 

 usually fnir in number, rarely three and sometimes five, oval in form, white in color, spotted and blotched 

 usually more thickly aruund the larger end uith varying shades of brown and lilac. Dimensions, .00 by 

 .•45 to .(!:• by .53. 



HABITS. 



The Chestiiut-sick'tl Warblers make their a])pearance in Massachusetts the first week 

 in May, generally a short time before the ti'ees ami bushes have assumed their leaves. 

 They frequent low growths of oak, maple, and other deciduous trees in either high or low 

 land, but when breeding they are rather inclined to prefer swampy thickets. I have, how- 

 ever, occasionally found the nest inbarl)erry Ijushes on high land. This species is one of 

 the most sensitive in regard to its nest of any of our birds, for they will desert their home, 

 even if it be only jiartly constructed, if they perceive an intruder near it. When the eggs 

 are in the nest one has only to touch them, and although the parent birds be absent at the 

 time, they appear to Ije aware of the fact that an unwelcomed visitor lias disturbi'd their 

 household arrangements, and will instantly depart iiever to return. 



Tlie ordinary song of the Chestnut-sided Wai'bler so neaily resembles that of the 

 YeUow Warbler as to be indistinguishable, aiul is uttered as the biids mo\e briskly about 

 throuo'l) the foliage in search of insects wliicli foriu their food. These warblers migrate 

 earlw most of them leaving New England l)y the last week in August, ;ind 1 limnd tln-m 

 in full migration with (jtlier warblers at Wutsontown, Pennsylvania, on the 2Gtli of this 



